The Course of True Love

Meet the Family (Sort Of)

CN/TW: Mentions of self harm further down

Albus rushed to his brother's house, frantically knocking over and over again but no response. When Albus was about to give up, Aberforth finally opened. His face clouded when he recognised who had come to see him and Albus felt a little uneasy. The tension between the brothers hadn't diminished in all those years, quite the opposite.
"Albus. What do you want?" He sounded cold, as if he was about to slam the door in his brother's face.
"Make amends." Albus said calmly, he tried to look his brother in the eye but Aberforth avoided him.
"I have no time. Bye." He tried to close the door but Albus reacted quickly and put his foot into the frame before Aberforth could once again shut him out.
"Damn it, Aberforth. Listen to me, I am serious." Of course this didn't really help, Albus should have known better, but it had been a while since he and his brother had last spoken. Aberforth looked at him with an expression that could only be interpreted as disgust and his voice had more than just a slight sarcastic undertone when he started speaking.
"I have no time for the oh so great Albus Dumbledore, going round, being just sooo wonderful. I heard you're planning to marry the girl you accidentally knocked up and still managed to turn it into something admirable. Just like... what was that? Oh right, letting our sister get killed in the name of what you called "the greater good." And as if that's not enough, you took in a student to live with you? You're just displaying your usual amount of favouritism. People are talking, Albus, and honestly, I'd rather not be associated with your mess. So no thank you, I do not want to make amends because you tend to drag the people you supposedly love down with you." Albus had to take a deep breath. He wanted to defend Mina. She wasn't an accident. Well, her pregnancy had been, but that wasn't the point. Cecily was more than just a student. His brother's words had hurt him way more than he cared to admit because he wasn't wrong, well, at least he wasn't wrong about the "old" Albus Dumbledore, the person he'd been before he'd met Minerva.
"Aberforth. Please. You don't have to like me, I know that too much has happened between us. But please, meet your niece. Meet Cecily, I promise you won't regret it, she is a soul seer and..." There was just so much to explain but Aberforth had had enough and cut him off. He didn't want people to witness this.
"Oh come on, you're being ridiculous. That girl is nothing but a teacher's pet, she's McGonagall's little folly that you are allowing to happen simply because you can, in a year you'll both be bored and drop the poor thing." He knew Minerva from way back i. school, she'd been a few years below him, but even back then she'd been an unbearable know-it-all.
"That's my daughter you are talking about. I couldn't drop her, I know you don't believe me but I am indeed capable of changing my ways." Albus hissed. "Here. My door is open, come see us for dinner tonight or don't, I don't even care anymore." With those words he shoved Cecily's drawing into Aberforth's hands and left. He hadn't been entirely truthful, because he actually cared a lot. But that was hard to say. Aberforth still knew which buttons he had to push.
At home, Albus went to the kitchen, but Mina wasn't there, so he went upstairs. He found her and Cecily in Cecily's room, Mina was once again braiding Cecily's hair into an intricate crown. Cecily had her eyes closed and was obviously enjoying herself.
"Albus, dear, is everything alright?" Mina didn't even have to look at her fiancé, she could hear that he was a little agitated by the way he'd taken the stairs.
"Yes, kitten, everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know that my brother might come for dinner, so I'm cooking." That was all he said before turning and going back to the kitchen, he had to check their storage and make sure they had everything they needed. Mina just shrugged and turned back to do Cecily's hair. She knew that pressuring him for more information would just lead to both of them being upset. Albus would tell her when the time was right, she trusted him to do the right thing and focused her attention on Cecily, who was patiently waiting for her to continue braiding her beautiful auburn hair.
"I never thought I'd have such a pretty child." Mina couldn't say that often enough and Cecily blushed in the most adorable way.
"I never thought I'd have a mum who likes me." The girl finally replied, she was mostly joking, but there was also some truth in her statement. She appreciated how things were now.
"Loves you, my precious." Mina corrected her gently. It was true. She loved this child with all her heart.
"So, is Pop's brother actually coming for dinner?" Cecily changed the topic, she was curious and so was Ariana's soul who had been hanging around ever since Albus knew about her existence. Suddenly she didn't seem to be shy at all and Cecily wondered whether that meant something.
"I don't know, dear. I remember him from school, he was a few years above me and... very different from the way your dad is." Mina tried to be as diplomatic as possible, even though the Aberforth she remembered had been a troublemaker.
"Ariana wants him to come, she just told me." Cecily said as if it was no big deal that her dead aunts' soul was speaking to her. It actually wasn't a big deal for Cecily, she was used to seeing souls and speaking to them.
"I hope he comes, it's time to make peace." Mina said gently and Cecily nodded, deep in thought. She didn't like the uncertainty of whether they would have a guest for dinner or not and Ariana didn't seem to like it either. Cecily just had to make sure that it would happen and she already had an idea how.
"Mum, when you are done with my hair, can I go to the village? It's Eva's birthday on Saturday and I need to get her a gift." An innocent enough request, one that Mina couldn't possibly deny.
"Sure. How much money will you need?" Perfect. This was almost too easy but Cecily knew that she had to take this chance.
"None, really I saved some so I could get her something." That wasn't even a lie. Mina gave her five Galleons from her purse anyway. "So you can get yourself something nice too."
Mum..." Cecily was always a little embarrassed when Mina gave her money and now even more because she wasn't really planning on buying something. She hated lying to her, but she had no choice.
"I insist." Mina gently closed Cecily's hand around the heavy gold coins, even though they seemed to burn. So this was what a guilty conscience felt like.
"Mhhh..kay." Mina finished Cecily's hair and was very happy with the outcome.
"There's my pretty girl." She smiled and Cecily turned around.
"I like it. Thank you." She went to get her coat and boots. "Bye Mum. Bye Pop...Dad, I love you." She called. Then she went to the village. Little did her parents know that she wasn't planning on getting Eva a gift on this trip. Instead, she'd convinced Ariana's spirit to come with her. She walked down the road to the village, Ariana told her stories to keep her entertained and give her some information to prove that she was genuine. The pub she was looking for looked dark and a little seedy, but Cecily knew that there was no turning back now. Fearlessly, she entered the Hog's Head, where Aberforth was working.
"Mr. Dumbledore, excuse me." Her voice sounded way braver than it was, but it worked, the man who had been wiping down the bar looked up and came towards her. He looked a lot like her Dad, but his eyes were different, they looked sad, and his beard wasn't as long as Albus' beard. Yet it was blatantly obvious that these two were brothers. Cecily was actually shocked when he started talking, he sounded like a mean version of her father.
"Well if it's isn't my brother's proof that rules don't apply to him." The bitterness and sarcasm in his voice took Aberforth by surprise, he usually wasn't mean to children. His brother's visit earlier that day had irritated him. For some reason the girl didn't back down and he couldn't help but admire that she seemed to be rather tough.
"My name is Cecily, Sir, and my Pop is very sad that you can't be friends anymore." He gave a bitter laugh. How innocent and naive she was under all her tough exterior.
"Sweetie, I wish I could make you see that he cannot have genuine feelings. All he cares about is his success." There was no reason to let her down gently. She had to get away from his toxic brother and his games before he hurt her.
Please, give him a chance. He has changed." Cecily insisted.
"You know what he did to lure me to your place? He used you, says you can see souls, it's terribly distasteful..." Aberforth was just about to give her a lecture on all his brother's misdeeds when Cecily interrupted him.
"But I do. Let me prove it to you and if you believe me, you have dinner with us tonight, deal?" He sighed. She wouldn't back down.
"Look, you're a good kid. Show me what you got." It was hard to say no to her, she reminded him a little of Ariana, how she'd been before...
"Your sister is here." Cecily said, very matter of fact.
"Don't you do that!" Aberforth snapped. "My sister is off limits! Don't use her in some con that my brother has set up." Cecily started to worry, this wasn't going the way she had planned, but suddenly she felt a warmth flowing through her.
"But Abe..." He looked up. He hadn't been addressed that way in years. It wasn't just the name, it was the voice and everything.
"How do you know my nickname. Only Ariana knew that and she's dead." This was spooky. Cecily felt relieved, now he knew she wasn't playing games.
"She told me. I can tell you more. About your treehouse and your spot by the river, the one with the swing. And the secret language you two made up." She kept talking, now totally in her element, feeling how Ariana spoke through her. She said things that nobody but Ariana could know. Suddenly she heard a weird sound and stopped. Aberforth was sobbing.
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong, I didn't mean to upset or offend you, Sir." If there was one thing Cecily couldn't deal with, it was grown men crying and as it was the second time that day she really started to feel guilty.
"You haven't. She... she's here, isn't she? Ari?" Aberforth tried his hardest to regain composure.
"She is, can't you feel her?" And really. Aberforth felt the warmth of an early spring morning surround him, he felt surrounded by light and that was quite something because the Hog's Head was pretty dark. Cecily smiled, she felt accomplished.
"So...Can we expect you for dinner?"
"Sure. And... Thank you. You're a good kid." Aberforth was still coming to terms with the things he'd just learned.
"Thanks, and please tell my parents that in case I get in trouble for coming down here." He laughed.
"Which parents?" From what he had heard the girl didn't really have parents.
"Your brother and Mina... Minerva. The others... Weren't so great. So yeah, they are all I have really." The atmosphere had changed from emotional to awkward and Aberforth felt bad for bringing up such a sensitive topic.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that there was actually a reason for you staying with them, other than my brother playing high and mighty."
"Don't worry about it. I think you're going to see your brother in a very different light after tonight. And my mum, Mina. Minerva. She's amazing, you'll love her." He wasn't so sure, but who was he to burst that kid's bubble.
"I'll see you for dinner. And now shoo, this is not a place for little girls."
"Bye, see you then!" Cecily was happy to leave now that her job was done. She skipped into the village and there was actually still time for her to buy a gift for Eva to make her cover story more plausible.